Excitement continues to unfold in the Men’s Singles competition at the 2024 WTT Finals Fukuoka, with gripping matches keeping fans on the edge of their seats.
Among the highlights was a stunning comeback by Dang Qiu in the round of 16. Facing Lin Yun-Ju, Qiu found himself trailing 0-2 before staging an incredible recovery. He secured three consecutive games and saved three match points to achieve his first-ever victory over Lin, with scores of 5-11, 7-11, 11-5, 11-8, and 15-13.
This match marked a moment of redemption for Qiu, who had previously lost to Lin in a full-distance battle earlier this month at WTT Champions Frankfurt. However, history did not repeat itself, and Lin exited the WTT Finals in the first round for the second consecutive year.
The victory also brought a significant milestone for Qiu, as it was his 200th win on the international stage. As he sets his sights on his next milestone, Qiu awaits the outcome of the match between Alexis Lebrun and Lin Shidong to determine his quarterfinal opponent.
Elsewhere in the draw, Darko Jorgic delivered a commanding performance, defeating Lin Gaoyuan with a straight-sets victory (11-8, 11-7, 11-9).
“I felt quite comfortable here in Japan from the first point. I saw directly that he was quite nervous and that I had nothing to lose. I played amazing. I was aggressive. That was also the key. I mean, to play against Chinese, it’s all the stuff. They’re safe. You need to win the points, you need to survive the points. I felt really amazing and until the end; I was playing my game,” said Darko Jorgic.
Jorgic’s victory was driven by lessons from past experiences. At the WTT Finals Men Doha 2023, he had been unable to close out a decisive lead against top seed Fan Zhendong. This time, he made adjustments to ensure a different outcome.
“I said to myself, I have to be relaxed. I have to play my game a long time. And yeah, I was just happy how I felt from the first point until the end. I had my chances also last year against Fan Zhendong. I was leading fifth set 7-5. I didn’t take this chance. This came to my mind in this match. But I just said to myself, stay calm, stay relaxed,” Jorgic reflected.
Looking ahead, Jorgic will face either Benedikt Duda or Felix Lebrun in the next round, as the competition intensifies in Session 2.
